Commonwealth Games, Starring Your Peers!

July 2014. For many, it is the time to put down the beer jugs (just for a moment), have a shower and head back to uni refreshed and ready for Semester Two. But for a handful of students (and alumni too), this is the moment they’ve been awaiting for months and preparing for for years. They’re the students who have been performing the ultimate juggling act; balancing a university workload with a strict, intense training regime. For along with being uni students (think tutes, lectures, exams, assessments!), they are elite athletes who are right now representing Australia at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

To all these dedicated individuals, we salute you! A huge congratulations to all of you who have already competed and done Australia proud (some of whom have ended up on the podium with a medal around their neck!), and good luck to all those yet to compete.

Students and alumni in the Aussie squad come from universities across the country, including the University of Western Australia; Sydney University; Macquarie University; University of Queensland; Victoria University; University of Western Sydney; Melbourne University; University of Canberra; Australian National University; Griffith University; University of Tasmania; La Trobe University; Curtin University; University of Notre Dame; University of South Australia. Sorry we couldn’t name you all, guys. There are just too many talented athletes coming out of Aussie universities!

Ben Treffers of ANU, who won gold in the 50m backstroke (Image credit: Ben Treffers/ANU Sport)

Miao Miao of Victoria University took home bronze in table tennis doubles. (Image credit: Getty Images)